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Today's Bonus:
- 76-key Digital Piano with Grade Soft Touch Action, 10 Voices, 10 Built-in Songs, and Metronome
- Runs on batteries or optional PA-5D or PA-150 AC power adapter (not included)
- Touch Sensitive, 10 Demo Songs, Sustain Jack for optional pedal,MIDI in and out terminals
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Before detailed remarks, here is my reference point. Having been spoiled with playing real pianos (I should say "acoustic", for PC :), I wanted a keyboard just to enjoy some classical music on my own, at my amateur level. I wanted it to be like a piano (in how it feels and sounds) but small and inexpensive.PROS:
PORTABILITY especially for an (almost) full-size keyboard. I really didn't want another piece of furniture. NP30 just lies on the table, which (to my own surprise) ended up as the deciding factor for me. YMMV.
SOUND. All the voices (including grand piano, organ, harpsichord) are well done and beautiful. (But see "CONS" below.)
KEY WEIGHTING. NP30's keys are something like "semi-weighted" and "touch sensitive" (but consult the official specs on this) and somewhat easy to press. But see "CONS" below. BTW I researched this "weighted" topic quite a bit and tried several options, but my practical conclusion is this. If you care about the feel, go more high-end or get the real thing (an acoustic piano, that is). Otherwise you will likely get used to what you have, even though it isn't perfect.
SIMPLICITY. The controls are few and quite intuitive.
PRICE. It's all relative, of course, but compared to other full-size keyboards out there, it's among the cheapest $300 at Best Buys. (And that's without any sale discounds Best Buys felt kinda thin on sales to me.)
CONS:
KEY WEIGHTING. While offering you an approximation of an acoustic piano's feel, NP30's keys are not quite there. First, they are hard to press if you place your fingers far from the edge of the key (i.e. towards the back of the keyboard) I have never noticed this on an acoustic. Second, in some cases when I press several keys at once, NP30 doesn't sense one or two of them, whereas an acoustic piano would. I have to re-adjust the pressure to get NP30 to play them.
SOUND. While individual sounds are beautiful, their combinations may not parallel the richness of an acoustic piano's. This is probably because there is no is no resonating effect between the various strings. (Which is quite understandable at this price level.)
FEATURES (missing). The ones I cared about: additional voices (NP30 only got 10) and the 12 keys for the full-size 88-key keyboard. Again, it's all about a trade-off against portability and price.
ACCESSORIES (missing). Power adapter and the sustain pedal are not included, and Best Buys charges $25-30+ for each. This is a RIP-OFF, people. For power, look around; maybe you have a compatible one already (12V, 1500 mA, negative is outside) or use rechargeable batteries. And maybe you are fine without the pedal (I am still to answer that question for myself).
Buy Yamaha NP30 76-Key Portable Grand Piano Now
I was looking for a "dummy" keyboard on which I could learn and repeat difficult passages hundreds of times in succession without driving the neighbors mad. I also wanted to be able to practice late at night or early in the morning at weekends. The "annoyance to neighbors" factor has always held me back from practicing properly as I'm constantly aware how loud my real piano must sound to the poor folks next door. This keyboard more than meets the requirements.Although the keys have a spring mechanism and not a hammer action, they feel more realistic than the keys on previous generations of electronic keyboards. If you want a basic no-frills keyboard to learn music and to drill sequences of notes into your fingers, as I do, this does the job perfectly, and there is no need to spend several times as much money on an 88-key hammer-action keyboard. The 76 keys are enough for all music up to at least Beethoven and much music later than that. The keys are marginally shorter than conventional keys, but the difference is not noticeable when playing.
The sound that comes out of those integrated speakers is surprisingly realistic (the harpsichord being particularly convincing), and the volume slider control that lets you play any dynamic from silent upwards is useful if, like me, you don't like wearing headphones and you only need minimal auditory feedback to confirm that you're playing the right notes. I would have no hesitation in recommending this keyboard to students living in a residence hall, as its light weight and portability make it a practical and versatile instrument which can be loaded into the back of a car in seconds. It is extremely good value for money (I bought mine in the UK, where for some reason the price is lower than in Europe or the US). If I didn't already own a real piano I would probably buy a more expensive 88-key weighted keyboard, but as a supplementary practice tool to complement an acoustic piano, this is a perfect compromise. The power supply included with the keyboard is heavy and bulky, but at least it has a generous amount cable.
Read Best Reviews of Yamaha NP30 76-Key Portable Grand Piano Here
Until now, there hasn't been an affordable 76-key keyboard that weighs ONLY 12 POUNDS and can RUN ON BATTERIES!Keyboardists who don't need all the bells and whistles of sequencers and synthesizers will be delighted with this ultra-light keyboard. There are only a few sounds (a couple pianos, harpsichord, electric piano), but for little cocktail piano, wedding or singer-songwriter gigs, often you only need a piano sound. (Yamaha is known for its authentic piano sounds.)
No more breaking your back carrying your keyboard. Now if someone could just find a way to create a light and powerful amplifier... (This keyboard also has built-in speakers, but for most performing situations you would need more volume than they provide. However, if you're just playing at home the volume is sufficient.)
Want Yamaha NP30 76-Key Portable Grand Piano Discount?
I am an intermediate level piano player, and I am used to using an acoustic Yamaha upright. As a practice piano, the np-30 gets a 3 because learning fast songs is different and harder than on the 'real thing,' but it has decent sounds and sensitivity and it is portable (I believe it's the smallest and lightest 76-key keyboard). So while I'm disappointed having bought into the 'hype,' I still enjoy using it all the time. Here are some differences that you should know if you, like me, want to learn to play with fast hands:--Key spacing: the keys are 3/4" smaller than an acoustic, over the whole keyboard. There are also noticeable gaps in between each one. I would sometimes get my fingers "caught" in the space and so unintentionally play extra notes when moving my hand back and forth quickly.
--Slippery keys: The plastic is the same as any keyboard, so it is more difficult to grip than an acoustic's. The black keys are a little thinner and more rounded than an acoustic's square-ish ones. Make sure your fingers are curled on difficult passages to limit the slippage.
--Key sensitivity: I don't think the dynamics are as broad as an acoustics. The lightest touch that would work on an acoustic sometimes doesn't make a sound. The back part of the keys is more rigid, making playing loud chords using weaker fingers harder. Turning touch sensitivity down helps, but limits the range.
Overall, I still think this keyboard was the right choice for me since I really value portability. Others may want to either get the casio wk110 which is similar but cheaper, or a p85 or px-130 for a more tactile feel.
With M-Audio, I noticed the keys were "cheap" and just sticky feeling. The Np-30 is smooth. Not quite like a real piano, but for $300 what do you want! :)
It's a great keyboard for simple ideas or practicingthat is where it all comes from, simplicity.
Try one!
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